This Guy Turns OCD Hoarding Into Amazing Photos

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It all started with a scissor collection. Shooting them individually didn't capture the magic. Photo: Jim Golden

Golden didn't have enough gear for this shoot and asked the Portland community to donate their rigs for a day. 14 hours later the shot emerged--along with a new community of photographers. Photo: Jim Golden

An incredible array of 8-tracks. Photo: Jim Golden

Finding collections to shoot was originally Golden's biggest challenge, but the success of the series has unlocked a treasure trove of crazy collectors who are coming out of the woodwork. Photo: Jim Golden

Each collection starts with an emotional core. In this photo it is the flashlight that Golden owned as a child and recently rediscovered at a thrift store. Photo: Jim Golden

Each product needs to be placed perfectly to balance the composition and properly light the collection. Photo: Jim Golden

By placing hundreds of like objects next to each other the photos force viewers to consider tiny differences. Photo: Jim Golden

In addition to being beautiful works of art, Golden's photos are a keen reminder of the transience of today's hottest gadgets. Photo: Jim Golden

One of Golden's latest compositions is made up of detritus found on the Portland coast. Photo: Jim Golden

Golden's workflow is entirely digital and allows him to tweak the shot as it's assembled. Photo: Walnut Studio

Assembling the shots is a painstaking process and Golden has been known to start from scratch if the shot isn't lining up. Photo: Walnut Studio

Even when the collection isn't comprised of thousands of objects, a quirky composition keeps things interesting. Photo: Jim Golden

The photos have opened new doors for Golden—this collection caught the attention of editors at a famous outdoors magazine. Photo: Jim Golden

Hoarding gets a bad rap, and there are certainly compulsive collectors who could use some time in therapy, but what about a guy who owns 5,000 pairs of scissors? In the grips of a reality show producer, he'd be made to look like a loon, but when viewed through Portland-based photographer Jim Golden's lens, the same pack rat seems like a canny curator. Golden has been shooting photos for brands like Nike, ESPN, and Yahoo for over 15 years and has become a master of lighting who can shoot a picture of athletic footwear better than almost anyone. One day, a friend with colossal collection of clippers asked Golden to give his scissors the same slick treatment as Air Jordans. Golden tried shooting the staggering stockpile of shears individually, but the results just didn't cut it. No single pair of pinking shears or tin snips looked that impressive on its own, it was only in context of the entire collection that the subtle variations were revealed. "Then it dawned upon me to lay them out on the floor and photograph them from above," says Golden. A series of images featuring quirky collections of camera gear, locks, and lawn decorations soon followed.

The project is a collaboration with stylist Kristin Lane and is an artistic escape from the cutthroat world of commercial photography. "This is a takedown from a tried and true merchandising technique," says Golden. "It's a very accessible for the viewer and allows for the combination of all types of different objects in one image." The photos depict everyday objects, but the variety and volume of items in each print force the viewer to consider the minute differences between the products and the relationships between them.

Though filled with dozens of subjects, each photo has an emotional core—the camping collection was inspired by a plastic flashlight Golden had as a kid and recently rediscovered at a thrift store, while the bright orange and yellow housewares came from Lane's personal collection.

Despite owning a well-equipped photo studio, Golden didn't have nearly enough gear for the camera photo. To pull off this shot, Golden and Lane had to become event organizers and librarians—the pair asked the Portland photography community to borrow gear for a day, resulting in donations of 400 pieces of kit that needed to be cataloged and a gathering of photographers that turned Golden's studio into an impromptu photography convention. "It took Kristin and I 14 hours to lay out and photograph," he says. "We have both learned a lot about what's possible and what isn't, how big these things can be compared to the scale of the items."

The photos have a minimal style, but are really the result of Golden obsessive pursuit of perfectionism. "The scissors were a challenge," he says. "I did one layout and didn't like it, and redid it – my assistant thought I was nuts. Still, nothing was weirder than learning an old friend had over 5,000 scissors at his house."

Golden's still life series has collected a series of awards and honors that rivals some of the collections he's photographed and has led to more corporate work, but he is always searching for the next astonishing assortment of esoteric products to photograph. "I shoot stuff I'm interested in and combine that with what I can get a hold of," he says. "When I started, it was a bit harder, but now people are coming out of the woodwork and offering it."